2023 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes reward six innovative programmes

The awards will be presented during the global celebrations of the International Literacy Day taking place on 8 September at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris under the theme ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundations for sustainable and peaceful societies’. 

UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize, sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea, recognizes contributions to mother language-based literacy development. It will be awarded to: 

• The GraphoGame programme by the GraphoGame organization (Finland) for its  collection of top-tier literacy games in 14 different languages attracting over 5 million users. New language versions are being developed to teach children and adults literacy skills in their mother-tongue. 

• The Himalayan Literacy Network (Pakistan), a non-governmental organization that brings quality pre-school and primary education closer to remote Bakarwal communities. Established in 2004, its programme aims to spur a literacy movement among nomadic pastoralists located in the southern Himalayas. 

• The ‘Africa e-Library project’ by Snapplify (South Africa), a leading edtech company offering digital learning solutions for individuals and institutions. The Africa e-Library project was created in 2011 and provides access to thousands of free eBooks and curriculum-aligned educational contents in multiple local languages. 

Each of the three UNESCO King Sejong prize winners will receive a medal, a diploma, and an endowment of US$ 20,000.

UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy 

The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, sponsored by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, recognizes contributions to functional literacy leveraging digital tools in support of adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth. It will be awarded to: 

• The ‘Empowering remote and climate vulnerable communities with digital literacy’ Programme by Friendship (Bangladesh). The programme uses digital tools to provide hybrid learning to marginalized communities in Bangladesh, with a view to addressing school dropout in coastal communities.

• The ‘My Very Own Library: Cultivating a culture of reading in the homes of children in the Dominican Republic’ Programme by Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring (Dominican Republic). This non-governmental organization  aims to cultivate a culture of reading at home by providing children and youth from low-income communities with a diverse range of books, so they are able to build their own home library.

• The ‘Peaceful Communities’ Programme by Uganda National Self-Advocacy Initiative (Uganda), a peer-led organization for individuals with psycho-social disabilities in Uganda's rural Kayunga District. Its main objectives include equipping rural persons with disabilities with essential literacy skills, fostering inclusive dialogues for peaceful communities, and empowering them to express their views. 

Each of the three UNESCO Confucius laureates will receive a medal, a diploma, and an endowment of US$ 30,000.